Travel Diary: Amangiri

Amangiri, one of the most unique resorts in nature—arguably the world.

A few weekends ago, I made the decision to finally bite the bullet and cross a destination off the bucket list.

Amangiri.

Amangiri is a resort on the border of Utah and Arizona. It is apart of “Aman”, a hospitality group that got its start primarily in Asia, notorious for its unique, luxurious, and perfectly executed hotels. The whole philosophy behind Aman, and Amangiri specifically is to detox, reflect, and find peace in a breathtaking environment. From the room, you cannot see another man-made building. I swear to you, it’s impossible to take a bad photo in the entire resort—every corner is beautifully thought out, and I came away from the weekend refreshed and with amazing memories made.

On the road.

My best friend Michael and I opted to drive from Las Vegas, about a four hour drive with no stops. If you know either of us, to say we are not morning people is an understatement, however at 6 A.M. we were bouncing out of bed quite uncharacteristically. About halfway through, we ended up stopping to look at Zion National Park, and in true Abi & Michael fashion, embarked unknowingly on an hour long hike that ended up being totally worth a few scuffs on my LV Archlight’s. (Not recommended for hiking, but worth the cool picture.) A neat plus—we got to drive through a mile long tunnel built in the early 1900’s.

Upon arrival at the resort, you’re welcomed by Amangiri’s wonderful staff and led on a tour throughout the hotel. The pool is built around a rock that is roughly 100 million years old. (!!!) The resort itself blends into the surroundings beautifully, and all of the amenities and rooms offer gorgeous panoramic views. The spa was pure heaven, and offered numerous treatments. In my opinion, Amangiri is a perfect opportunity to see the beauty of Arizona and Utah. Despite being an undeniable city dweller, I found a lot of comfort and inspiration in Amangiri and the surrounding nature—it’s a place I hope to return to many times.

With that said, here’s a good story for you…

I have to really tout how good their service is here, Michael and I (who have never been dramatic a day in our lives) called the front desk in an absolute panic when we spotted a spider in the bed. They sent not one, not two, but FOUR people to search for it when we couldn’t find it. They found the spider, a baby huntsman, it was no biggie. It was a good laugh at ourselves but ultimately, we saw firsthand how accommodating they are, and that they don’t even judge the most ridiculous requests—or they’re just really good at hiding it. Probably that.

The breakfast was especially memorable, and the pancakes are a must. You can basically eat wherever you wish around the resort, however they have a beautiful common area that all meals are typically eaten at. The room offers views of the canyons on one side, pool on the other. It’s particularly memorable as it’s connected to the lobby and is the first part of the resort you see. Like I said earlier, Amangiri does not leave anything forgotten, and even has an abundance of board games and other forms of entertainment. These small, but touching details are truly why I feel so strongly that it is an example of exceptional hospitality.

Our Adventures. Prior to arriving, Michael and I both had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to do activity wise. Out of all of the Aman resorts, Amangiri has the most activities to offer. Hands down, my favorite activity was taking a helicopter to Tower Butte. Not only did we get to take in the beautiful view from 1,000 feet up, we got to do it while doing yoga. It was surreal— like you were staring at a painting of Lake Powell and all the beauty below. These are the sort of memories I know I’ll be thinking about years from now.

Up next, one of my favorite activities was the Slot Canyon Tour. While you may not know it by its name, I’m 99% sure you’ll recognize it from pictures. These narrow, orange-looking canyons are unlike anything I’ve seen before—it was an essential cross-off on the bucket list. I highly recommend doing a private tour, that way you not only see the infamous Upper Antelope Canyon, but Rattlesnake Canyon—my personal favorite.

On a much more low-key note, we spent a great deal lounging by the pool drinking some fabulous blended libations and indulging in some pretty serious truffle pizzas—the last day we stayed much longer than intended, procrastinating the drive and pretty much, dreading leaving paradise.

Like I said earlier, the spa is out of this world! The massages start with burning sage—the resort pays great homage to the Navajo in many respects. The facilities themselves are gorgeous, and also offer steam rooms, a sauna, and a smaller pool. I left the spa feeling so incredibly refreshed.

Lastly, Amangiri offers different daily activities for free. Wether it be sunrise yoga, hikes, and even star gazing, Amangiri assures you never have a shortage of things to do.

I will forever remember Amangiri fondly, the beautiful memories made, the peace I felt, the (bomb) food I ate—I couldn’t have asked for a better getaway with my best friend, and I certainly will return. I hope all of you are able to find places that inspire you how I was at this incredible place. If you’d like to see more photos from my trip, it’s a few scrolls down on my Instagram pages—@Abihoffman & @Abimusic. As always, from the bottom of my heart thank you for taking the times to read my rambles!